Welcome to “20 Questions with Taste Porto Team”, a deep dive into the minds of the folks who bring Porto’s streets to life through our delightful food tours.
We started in 2013 with a mission: to reveal Porto’s culinary wonders while honoring our community’s essence. It’s more than just food; it’s about connection, about preserving the traditions of the past while embracing the innovations of the present. As our tour guide Ricardo would put it: “It has been a delicious ride!”
Ricardo is a retired archeologist who was tired of eating dirt, so he joined Taste Porto and lived happily ever after. With 17 years of professional experience in Northern Portugal and a decade researching Porto’s Jewish heritage, he’s our go-to for any queries.
20 Questions with Taste Porto
- Describe the locals in a sentence.
We tend to be unfiltered and with that I mean blunt. - What’s the weirdest food and drink combo?
Francesinha and a glass of milk. The sandwich is going to get pissed at the milk or the other way around. - What do you always avoid ordering on a menu?
Espresso at a restaurant and food at a coffee place. In my opinion, a shoemaker knows about shoes. - If you could choose any two famous Portuguese people (dead or alive) to have dinner with, who would they be and why?
Eça de Queirós to speak about food and Abade de Priscos to learn about the secrets of my favorite dessert (call me shallow, I don’t care). - Your friend from out of town is visiting. Where are you taking them?
To Afurada, to a special place called Vapor. - Do you like cooking? Which dish is your showstopper?
- Describe yourself as a traveler in 3 words.
Off the beaten track, foodie, geeky. - What’s your favorite Portuguese comfort meal?
Arroz malandro com grelos, feijões e costela em vinho tinto (naughty rice with turnip greens, beans and ribs in red wine). - What’s your favorite petisco?
Papas de sarrabulho (sarrabulho porridge). - Do you have any good travel advice?
- Do you have a favorite quote or Portuguese traditional saying?
Quem nasceu para dois nunca chegará a três, which translates to “Who was born to be a 2 will never grow to be a 3.” - Complete the sentence: “A day in Porto is not complete without…”
A bifana. - What’s your go-to coffee order?
Café, plain and simple – not short or long, no milk. - What’s your most treasured memory in Porto?
Holding my newborn son who was born on Saint John’s Day. - What’s your favorite alcoholic beverage?
Wine, mostly because of the endless possibilities of flavors we can get from it. - What’s the best way to spend a rainy day in Porto?
Meeting up with Friends at Prova Wine Bar and tasting wine like I was at a wedding. - What’s your favorite tradition?
Buying the garlic flower on Saint John’s to keep bad luck away. We always go to the same place to get it. - What is the most common misconception about Porto?
Porto is an industrial city – everyone thinks about Manchester and Liverpool with a lot of smoke hovering – it’s quite the opposite. - What’s your favorite curse word?
- What’s the secret to being an amazing tour guide?
Authenticity and Empathy.
20 Questions with Taste Porto Team
Throughout this interview series, “20 Questions with the Taste Porto Team”, we’ll ask the questions that need asking, uncover the flavors that need uncovering, and maybe, just maybe, gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be part of the amazing Porto community. Stay tuned!
Cheers!
